Happy Halloween!

The impish witch of Halloween did like to have fun. Most Halloweens she would pull some minor tricks, make decorations move on their own or multiply people's candy supply, but this year she felt a curious itch, so she decided to cast a little spell at a few Halloween parties. She flew over the houses and sprinkled her magic dust and watched as the spell took effect.

Alan, who had been dressed as a fireman, suddenly began to blow out all of the candles at the party. Then, he spotted the disarmed smoke detector. "Kate, do you realize what a fire hazard this is?" he demanded, holding it up in the air.

But, where Kate had just been standing, sat a black cat, calmly licking its paw. Kate was no where to be seen, although the cat's eyes did, somehow, remind Alan of Kate.

"What's going on here?" demanded Laura, flipping open her detective's notebook. "Looks like something may be afoot." She then took out her magnifying glass and began hunting for clues, muttering quotes from Sherlock Holmes as she went.

"I do not like this," said Sam I am, whom Sam had gone dressed as this year. "I do not like this, just like green eggs and ham."

"I think it's actually a commentary on how we, or at least, main-stream society, construct masks for ourselves and then, without knowing it, become them," analyzed Peter in a nasal voice as he adjusted his large, dark-rimmed glasses. He had, in a fit of cleverness, come as a hipster.

"Pikachu!" helpfully added Pikachu, formerly John, "Pika!"

"I am full of hangovers and regrets over terrible photos. Later, I am full terrible political news and disaster," muttered Stacy from her corner. She had attempted to dress up as "the future."

"As long as all of us Trumpers are still here, we're still gonna have a helluva party! Woo!" shouted Benji, wearing a homemade MAGA hat (he had come as one of the scariest creatures of all).

"Ruh roh, what's that smell?" barked Scooby "Lisa" Doo.

"I think it's me," said Frankenstein's creature, whom Frank had dressed as, quietly before shouting "If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!" He then charged at Scooby Doo who began to run in and out of rooms and impossible rates.

"I've discovered something," announced detective Laura. "In addition to our transformations, some have gone missing. This party had more guests prior to our curse."

"Pikachu!"

"I do not like this," whispered Sam I am.

"Maybe they bailed on this party because it became too commercialized with "popular culture" figures," Peter said, adjusting his glasses again.

"No," said detective Laura, "I think it's something else."

"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?" cried Frankenstein's creature from the hall.

"That's it!" shouted detective Laura, holding up her index finger in victory, "Those missing are those that came without a costume. They came as nothing and have, in turn," she adjusted her fedora, "become nothing."

The crowd was awed at her realization, but was not much comforted by it. Eventually, the Halloween witch let her magic dust wear off and everyone returned to normal (even those who had vanished). Everyone exchanged theories about what had happened, but all who had been in costume agreed it would be a night they wouldn't forget; those who had vanished couldn't recall anything from during the time of the curse.

And so, thought the Halloween witch as she flew towards the harvest moon, the moral of this story is: always dress up for Halloween.

(Kimisha Cassidy)